Device for sharpening safety-razor blades



Aug'lz, 1.930. P.. M. SALRN. 1,772,617

DIMICE FOR SHRPENING SAFETY vRAZOR BLADES Filed Aug. 1, 1925 Patented Aug. 12,1930

A.as

lwafer type of blade.

UNITED STATES lPATENT oFFlcE HERO MARIANO sALEnNI, oEsYDENHAm HILL, Lon-Don; ENGLANIS, Ass'IeNon, BY

COMPANY 0F GREAT BRITAIN i MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 ROLLS RAZOR (1927) LIMITED, QF-LONDON, ENGLAND, A

DEVICE FOR SHARPENING SAFETY-RAZOR BLADES Application led August 1, 1925, Serial No. 47,627; and in Great Britain August 16, 1924.

The present invention relates to devices for sharpening safety razor blades, of the kind in which the blade is automatically rocked at the end of each stroke to reverse it and is automatically caused to bear on the whetting or sharpening surface during the strokes, there being provision for automatic adjustment of the edge lof the blade on the said surface considering said surface transversely to the direction of the strokes, the blades dealt with being of the comparatively rigid type and approximately wedge-shaped in cross section in distinction to a iexible or By the term wedgeshaped it is to be understood that I include all blades which are thicker at the back'so that when they lie on a surface an imaginary straight line passing through the middle 4of the thickness of the back to the edge would be at an angle to that surface and whether the blade be made entirely in one piece or the additional thickness at its back part be made by securing a part or parts thereto. In both honing and stropping such approximately wedge-shaped blades, and particularly in honing, it is necessary or very desirable that the angle at which the edge of the` blade is presented to the whetting or sharpening surface be always the same and it is also advantageous that this angle shall be as small as possible. The main object ofthe present invention is to attain these advantages in safety razor sharpening devices of thekind referred to. Y

In safety razor sharpening devices of the kind referred to the razor blade is connected to a carrier which is reciprocated over thel whetting or sharpening surface and according to the said invention the connection devices are adapted to allow the blade to adjust itself -on .the whetting or sharpening surface angularly in a direction from edge to back or vvice versa, whereby as the blade is presented to the whetting or sharpening surface it adjusts itself so that both its back part and edge bear thereon in a oating manner duringthe stroke.v Consequently any variation in distance between the axis of the carrier' and the whetting or sharpening surface either at different parts of the .same apparatus or in tyrazor blades of the kind referred to as l heretofore known the blade has been removably connected'to the carrier by meansof a pin on the carrier engaging in a hole in the `back of the blade in which hole the pin has a working fit. With this kind of connection the lpresent invention may be conveniently embodied by providing that while the pin has a working bearing at ornear the bottom ofthe hole its diameter is smaller than the diameter of the hole or its width in the direction of the thickness of the blade from the bearing pzltrt of the pin Jutwardly, to aiford room for p ay. may be conveniently provided by the hole having an increased diameter from the bearing part for the Din outwardly. The bearing part for the pinV in the blade is preferably about midway between the back and edge of the blade or as near the middle as feasible having regard to the thickness of the blade at that art. Thus the blade may tilt or rock angu arly on theinner end portion of thel in. Toprovide that the blade shall be locke on the pin during useof the sharpening device an abutment or abutments ma be provided on the pin at a suitable part t ereof located orto be located within the hole in the blade,

say at a short distance from the outer end of 75.v This relative difference in diameter pin the size of the recess or recesses being l rocking movement of the blade on the en p thefpin isnot interfered with by the abutments referred to yet they prevent the blade such that while the freedom of the tilt-ing o;

leaving the pin in the reversal and whetting movements. In order to provide for the blade being engaged with pin and disengaged therefrom the abutment or abutments on the pin may project or be situated only in one direction transverse to the axis of the pin o r project substantially less in that direction as compared with a direction at right angles thereto and the outer part of the hole in the blade between the recess or recesses therein and the back of the blade may be of a slot-like or elliptical shape, its larger diameter being at right angles to and a little larger than the greatest diameter across the abutment or abutments on the pin whenthe blade is on the pin in the sharpening position and the smaller diameter of the outer part of the hole is such that the abutment or abutments on the pin at the least dimension across it or them or the portion between it or them can pass through it. The result 'of thisprovision isthat the blade may be connected with the pin by placing the hole in the' blade over the pin on the carrier while the blade is at right angles to the axis of the carrier and then turning the blade through an angle of about 90 and the blade may be disconnected by reverse action.

In order that the said invention may be better understood and carried into practice the preferred embodiment thereof is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example an embodiment of the invention in a known form of a razor sharpening device of the kind hereinbefore referred to. Y

Figure 1 of the said drawings is a fragmentary somewhatv diagrammatic plan view of the carrier for the blade in the razor sharpening device with the blade connected thereto. Figure 2is a section taken on the line A, A Figure 1, showing som'e parts in side view, Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 but showing the blade and the adjacentA parts of the carrier in the position they adopt when the blade is being traversed over the sharpening surface, Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line B, B Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line C, C' Figure 2. The said sections Figures 4 and 5 only show the parts adjacent to the connection between the carrier and the blade. Figures 6, 7 and 8 are respectively a face view, end view and detail in section `on the line D in Figure 7 illustrating the guard member hereinafter described preventing also the edge of the blade striking the sharpening surface before the back part.

Figures 2-5 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1, 6, 7 and 8. y

In the following description the 'parts of the said drawings are referred to by the letters marked thereon and the same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

in connection with which the invention is illustrated is that in which the blade is temporarily connected with a carrier consisting of a spindle carrying a toothed wheel at each side meshing vwith racks whereby the spindle is rotated as the carrier is reciprocated and the blade is.k connected with the carrier through the medium of a pin engaged in a hole in the blade, the said pin having a fork or yoke which engages the spindle of the carrier at a reduced part thereof so that the said spindle may rotate independently of the pin, a friction device being provided around the spindle, in the form of a sleeve of resilient material such as steel embracing the spindle with resilient pressure, the said pin being engaged in a hole in the said sleeve so that the sleeve and pin may turn together. In the said drawings m is the whetting or sharpening surface, a is the spindle of the carrier, b, l) the said toothed wheels, c the pin provided at d with a fork or yoke engaging in 'thereduced part of the spindle at e and f is the sleeve of resilient material. y is the Iblade and z is a part of the handle by which thecarrier is reciprocated. The parts referred to may be taken to be parts of a device for honing and stropping such as described in United States Patent 1,512,058 v and ,in the accompanying drawings the parts are shown as arranged for honing. As lthe carrier of the device is reciprocated the spindle rotates and due to the friction of the sleeve f on the spindle a the blade is caused to bear against the whetting or sharpening surface and at the end of a stroke the said friction is suiiieient to reverse the blade and cause it to strike the whetting or sharpening surface at the beginning of its next stroke in the direction opposite to that of its previous stroke. These features are no part of the present invention which relates as should be understood from the description hereinbefore given, to the connection between the carrier and blade'to allow the blade to adjust itself and bear on the whetting or sharpening surface in the floating manner hereinbefore referred to. To this end in the embodiment illustrated the end of the pin c is hemispherical and has a workino bearing in the bottom of the hole g in the blade but at the other parts the said hole has as shown a diameter substantially larger than that of the pin to afford room for play between the pin and the blade and to enable the end of the pin c to cause the blade to bear on the whettin or sharpening surface both at its back an edge parts notwithstanding any variation there may be from time to time or in different apparatus in the distance between l the axis of the spindle a and the whetting or sharpening surface, the blade thus tilting or rocking angularly as may be necessary on the inner end portion of the pin as the blade is brought on to the whetting or sharpening surface and while the bladel is being caused to bear on that surface during a stroke if there be any variation in that surface. The blade may also turn slightly on the pin to adjust itself on the .whetting or sharpening surface considering said surface transversely to the direction of reciprocation of the carrier although this feature so far as. the edge 'of the blade is concerned, is ,not novel in itself. It ispreferred that the inner end of the pin shall be hemispherical and the bottom of the hole of corresponding shape so that the blade may tiltor rock in the required direction or directions on the end of the pin after the manner of a ball joint, but

- the end of the pin may be of other forms as for instance conical, the point having a bearing at the apex of aconical shape of shal- ,20' lower angle given to the bottom of the hole.

In order to provide that the blade shall be locked on the pin c during use of the sharpen-- ing device abutments 7L, L are provided on the pin at such a part that they are located and free to play to a limited extent in the circular recess i a little distance from the back of the blade and of a larger diameter than the outer end of the hole g in the blade that is that pa'rt of it which constitutes the passage between the said recess i and the back ofthe blade through which the pin` is passed and in which it isl partly located. The abutments it, it are formed by forming flats at opposite parts of an annular shoulder originally so formed on the pin c. The

abutments L, 77, do not interfere with the freedom of the blade to tilt or rock to a limited extent on the end of the pin as described lbut nevertheless prevent,- the blade leaving the pin during the whetting operation. When the blade is being honed it is caused to pass over and bear on the whetting or sharpening surface with its edge foremost by the end of the pin c working and bearing on the bottom of the hole in the blade without interfering with any tilting or rocking of the blade and'therefore there is no tendency for the blade to leave the pin during the stroke but nevertheless an abutment such as those at L is necessary at least to prevent the blade leaving the pin during the reversal movement of the blade. blade it is caused to pass over the stropping surface with its back foremost and in this case although the end of the pin c' puts pressure on the blade, the blade is drawn overthe stropping surface through the mediuml of the abutments h, h bearing against the outer wall of the recess i and they also prevent the bladeleaving the pin during reversalmovementof the blade.

` vide for the blade bein engaged with 4the pin c and disengaged t erefrom the abutments h, are opposite one another leaving a portion between them of less width In stropping al In order to pro in a direction'l across the sharpening surface and the outer end of the hole inthe blade or the passage between the recess z' and the back of the bladeis of greater diameter in a direction across the sharpening surface than in a direction at right angles thereto the smaller diameter of that part of the hole or the passage being slightly greater than thewidth or diameter of the portion between the abutments h, and greater than the diameter of the .outer part of the pin c but smaller than the dimension across the abutments h, 11, so that although there is freedom of play at that part between the blade and the pin yet the abutments L, L prevent the blade being removed from the pin when the parts are inthe positions illustrated. The greater diameter or width of the passage referred to is as shown in Figure 4, a little larger-than the dimension across the abutments h, h. It will therefore be realized that .the connection between the pin and a blade is of a bayonet joint-like character that is the hole in the blade is'engaged with the pin cA by being ,passed thereoverl while the blade is in a position at rightanglestothe axis ofthe' spindle a and then when .the abutments 7L, L are within the recess i the blade is turned through about 90 into the position illustrated in the drawings. This bayonet jointlike connection between the blade and the carrier does not however in itself form any part of the presentdnvention. It is convenient that the bearing of th inner end of the pin o in the hole in the blade should be a considerable distance from the back part as illustrated and this distance may suitably be between one third and one half the distance from the back of the blade to the edge or as near the middle fromback to edge as feasible having regard to the thicklness of the blade so that the pressure of the end of the pin is applied to such part of the blade that theedge of the blade is caused to bear on the whetting surface with av desirable degree of pressure as well as the back of the blade. v

It will be seen by examining Figure 3 which shows the blade and parts in the position they take up and retain during the stroke that there is substantial facility for adjustably tilting or rocking movement of the blade on the end of the pin c so that the blade bears on the whetting or sharpening surfaceboth at its back part and edge part at all times during the stroke notwithstanding any irregularities in the surfaceor .variation of the distance o f the aXis of the spindle a from the whetting or sharpening surface; consequently the angle at which the edge ofthe bla de is presented to the whetting or sharpening surioo face is always the same and that angle is as small as possible. f

bladetis being presented ito the whetting or causing the blade to tilt so that the back partv bears on the whetting or sharpening surface before the pressure is sufficient to bring the edge into contact with the surface against resistance of the member to movement -relatively to the blade. Such a member may be functionally constituted by a guard member to prevent injury to the fingers and/or a guard to act as such in shaving such as illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 in which j is the guard member pivoted to the blade at k, c, so that it may be moved from one side of the edge of the blade to the other. The arms of the guard member are slightl resiliently displaceablefrom the ends of t e blade and one arm` carries a pin working in a recess Z of greater diameter than the pin to limit the movement of the guard member and at the other arm of the gJuard member is the device to retain the mem er temporarily in position to one or other side of the blade, the device also causing the latter art of the movement of the guard member 1n either direction to' take place automatically. This device consists of a sphere m arranged in a recess in the blade and having some freedom of lateral movement therein in a direction across the thickness of the blade and a projection n on the. end of the arm of the guard member which projection rides over the 'outer ortion of the s here against the resilience of t e arm when t e guard member is moved towards and past the edge of the blade. The project1on n 1s form of a steel sphere secured in a recess 1n the arm by pressing the adjacent metal around the sphere.

The invention is not limited to the form or arrangement and 'details described and illustrated as these may be' varied very substantial'ly without departing from the spirit of my invention. l Y

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is Y i 1. In combination in a safety razor blade sharpening device, sharpening material, a reclprocable carrier. for theblade, means to automatically rock the\blade at the end, of

each stroke to reverse it, means to cause the` blade automatically to `bear on the sharpening surface ofsaid material during the stroke and connection .devices between the carriery and the razor blade permitting of adjustment of the blade edge on the sharpening surface considering said surface transversely to the direction of reciprocation of the carrier andV distance from the back of the blade towardsv the edge part to enable the blade to adjust itself on the sharpening surface so that bothl its back part'and edge part bear thereon through the stroke without restraintby the said connection devices. l

2. In combination in a safety razor blade sharpening device, sharpening material, a reciprocable carrier for the blade, means to automatically rock the blade at the end of each stroke to reverse it, means to cause the blade automatically to bear on the sharpening surface of said material during the stroke, and a pin on the carrier engaging in a hole in the back of the blade, the said pin having a working bearing at or near the bottom of the hole and having a diameter smaller than the width of the Ahole in the direction of the thickness of the blade, from the bearing part of the pin outwardly, to ai'ord room for sullicient angular play between the pin and the blade to enable the back part of the blade as well as its edge part to adjust themselves on the sharpening surface without restraint by the said pin.

3. In combination in a safety raior blade sharpening device, sharpening material, a reciprocable carrier for the blade, means to automatically rock the blade at the end of each stroke to reverse it, means to cause the blade automatically to bear on the sharpening surface of said material during the stroke, a pin .on the carrier engaging in a hole in the back part of the blade, the said pin having a Working bearing at or near Athe bottom of the hole and havinga diameter smaller than the width of the hole in the direction of the thickness of the blade,'from the bearing part of the pin outwardly, to afford room for suiiicient angular `play between the pin and the blade to enable the back part of the bladeas well as its edge lpart to adjust themselves on the sharpening surface without restraint by the said pin,vand an abutment or abutments on the said pin to en age in a recess or recesses Ain the hole inthe lade to prevent the blade leaving the pin during operation of the sharpening device.

4. In combination in a safety razor blade sharpening device, sharpening material, a reciprocable carrier for the blade, means to automatically rock the blade at the end of each stroke to reverse it, means to cause the blade automatically to bear on the sharpening surface of said material during the stroke, a pin on the carrier engaging in a hole in the ack part of the blade, the said pin having a working bearing at or near the bottom of the hole and havin a diameter smaller than the wrdth of the ole in the direction of the thickness of the blade, from the bearing part ments on ofthe pin outwardly,

recesses in the hole in the blade to prevent the that the samemay blade leaving the pin during operation of the sharpening device, the said abutment' or abutments constituting a substantially radial projection or projeetlons and the opening part of the hole having a larger diameter in one plane than the diameter in a plane at right angles thereto in order to afford for a bayonet joint-like connection between the blade and carrier.v

5. In combination in a safety razor blade sharpening device, sharpening material, a carrier for the blade, saidcarrier being reciprocable in a definite path above said material, means to automatically rock the yblade at the end of each stroke toreverse it, means to cause the blade to automatically bear on "the sharpening surface of said material during the i stroke, and connection devices between the carrier and the razor blade adapted to allow the blade to adjust itself on the sharpening surface so that both the vback part and edge part of the blade -bear on the said surface through the stroke Without restaint by the' said connection devices notwithstanding the definite path of reciprocation of the carrier;

PIERO MARIANO SALERNI.

CERTIFICATE 0F CGRRECTION.

mehr No. 1,172,611.

mno MARIANO smul.

name of the assignee in the Vabove numbered patent was erroneously written 'and printed as "Rolls Razor (1927) Limited, Aof imam. angina, a muy of crm Britain", whereas said me should have been written and printed as Rollsrlhnor Limited, of London, England, a company of Great Britaimas shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein conform tothe record of the case in the Patent Office. Signedand sealed this 21st day of October, A. D. 1930.

tu isherqbyferrified am me M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Y Y Acting Conlnissioner of Patents.

GrantedAnguet 12, 1930, to` 

